Black People with Social Phobia

[RestlessFlames]

I want to know how many of you are on this site so that we can all befriend each other and maybe inbox each other or join a safe space (I have a website that is perfect for those with anxiety disorder and race together being constant battles/struggles). I find it very hard to find other black people with social phobia and/or OCD (two disorders that I have) and it would be so great to form a great bond and speak about things that only we could relate to. also, if communal living is of interest to any of you, please inbox me or reply here for more details or to discuss this form of lifestyle which could be our little support system from the daily (racial) microaggressions as well as daily battles we have to face being socially anxious people.

Thank You very much and I look forward to being your lifelong friend. <3

 

[Sacrament]

You can do that here too.

 

[RestlessFlames]

You can do that here too.

uhm, not really. I'm talking about a safe space for people who are both black and who have social phobia where on this site they may feel marginalized by more mainstream discussions that tend to be blind to racial inequality that tends to manifest in mental health spheres. just wanted to recruit other black people who want a safe space to talk and vent about life being black and having anxiety disorders as added stressors.

or maybe this site can be more mindful of intersectionality regarding race as well as being more opened to discussions about such without feeling the need to police or silence said discussions in fear it might "disturb the peace" or make more privileged frequenters of this site uncomfortable. if this site is unwilling to do this I'm just trying to recruit other black social phobia sufferers to a safe space that is widely opened to our unique struggles is all.

 

[Sacrament]

Have you experienced any racism here? I'm guessing you haven't. This is a safe space for people of any gender, 'race', or overall background.

 

[nodejesque]

Anxiety effects everyone differently. Not all people of the same gender, race or religion are affected the same.

So whether you'd like to create a different group, you would still have the same issue. Just because you are black, does not guarantee that all black people share your same struggle.

If anything, Id say that by further marginalizing a group, you miss out from hearing and receiving support from other who suffer from these issues. The anonymity can offer a different perspective, regardless of race, gender, or religion.

 

[nodejesque]

If that makes no sense, I apologize. I'm hungover.

 

[RestlessFlames]

Have you experienced any racism here? I'm guessing you haven't. This is a safe space for people of any gender, 'race', or overall background.

look, all I'm saying is I'm trying to recruit black people with social phobia who want a safe space to vent about race issues as well as having anxiety when such discussions may be seen as "threatening" here since many forums/discussions regarding mental health do center around white people since that is what's seen as default in our society. that's nondebatable and I'm sorry that me trying to create a safe space for black social phobia sufferers bothers you so much. just shows how a safe space is needed since the mere mention of race has you all in a tizzy. also, racism doesn't have to be outright. most times it's the feeling one has of having to remain silent to not make the more privileged "uncomfortable" and for that reason a safe space is needed for people like us to not feel the need to police ourselves as a sacrifice to make everyone else feel comfortable in their bubble. maybe this seems like a safe space for everyone when we all agree to not talk about "hot topics" but the very fact that such topics have the ability to cause certain reactions shows that there is a problem. just trying to create a safe space for black people with social phobia. you can go on being oblivious here, don't mind us while we seek to support and uplift eachother over THERE.

 

[nodejesque]

Wow. This sounds like race baiting.

And you're right. This is a forum for anxiety not race.

 

[RestlessFlames]

Anxiety effects everyone differently. Not all people of the same gender, race or religion are affected the same.

So whether you'd like to create a different group, you would still have the same issue. Just because you are black, does not guarantee that all black people share your same struggle.

If anything, Id say that by further marginalizing a group, you miss out from hearing and receiving support from other who suffer from these issues. The anonymity can offer a different perspective, regardless of race, gender, or religion.

true, but where anxiety disorder as well as race intersect, there will be similarities regarding certain struggles that do need to be addressed. just like this site is for people with social phobia who although we are from all walks of life have this one thing in common and can relate in this way, people who are both black and have social phobia will have systemic racism as well as social anxiety as struggles they can both relate to as well as the feeling of being marginalized regarding mainstream mental health topics. of course if I seek to create a safe space for black social phobia sufferers, there will be also a concern for sex as well and how black WOMEN social phobia sufferers will obviously have it harder, and thus we must seek further to address issues that more marginalized people within marginalized groups face. of course not all black people share the same struggle. being black with social phobia obviously gives you more struggles, on top of if you happen to be poor on top of if you happen to be a woman. also if you also happen to be in a wheelchair this will obviously further marginalize you. in this safe space I create, I will seek to call attention to those with the most struggles without having them feel the need to silence themselves for the majority topics going around. I will seek to highlight their stories more so change can happen for everyone. it is not further marginalizing to create a safe space from discussions where one is already marginalized. if anything this is calling attention to the problem and maybe this site can make it easier for POCs to discuss concerns regarding race. I haven't logged onto this site in a while since I feel that I must silence myself regarding certain topics and also there's this sadness where people will not be able to relate to me regarding race. I've only found 2 other black people on this site (and one of them is acting kind of weird & feels some type of way addressing the lack of intersectionality within mental health spheres. it's like they're in denial). when it comes to the experiences of black social phobia sufferers, we do not need to hear OPINIONS of what we are going through, we need validation and most times only another black social phobia sufferer can give us this. the "different perspectives" regarding facts that are true about our lives make us feel dismissed and invalidated.

 

[Megaten]

Well I can kinda understand where he's coming from. From my experience, african americans dont really talk about mental health issues often (especially men) and social anxiety might as well be hogwash. So we more often than not will suffer in complete silence in fear of facing scrutiny from family. And when it comes to race issues, I tend to not even bother talking about it with anyone that isnt a minority because it can very easily turn into a debate. It almost happened here when someone asked how they felt about the confederate flag being taken down, I said it should because it causes people grief, and someone outright told me I was being unreasonable. Which really angered me. That pretty much told me that people being put through mental anguish isnt as important as preserving someone's pride for a bad part of American history. And dont even get me started on the "post your picture" and "who do you find attractive" threads. Last time I posted my pic it got completely ignored. Anyways Im not personally interested in the aforementioned group as I dont feel particularly safe with anyone.

 

[RestlessFlames]

Wow. This sounds like race baiting.

And you're right. This is a forum for anxiety not race.

of course you'd say that. it's easy to not see the need for race discussions when you are already privileged enough to not have to see or talk about it since it doesn't affect you negatively. just like feminism needs to be intersectional regarding how racial issues and being a woman make life harder for POC women, if there is no intersectionality on this site where POC social phobia sufferers don't feel left out, you'll see less of them here and you know what, this will be another white space where POCs aren't welcome. I have enough trouble finding social phobia sufferers who are black on this site, just trying to create a safe space for them where racial discussions here will be met with backlash instead of understanding and empathy.

"If that makes no sense, I apologize. I'm hungover."
well maybe you should take a nap instead of typing then.
also "race baiting" is a term that the privilged use to silence those who have rightful concerns. to tell me I am "race baiting" you are denying that there is a lack of intersectionality and that I am just making much ado about nothing. when you say this is a forum for anxiety not race, you might as well tell me I don't belong here because my race does add to my struggles. race baiting is not a thing because systemic racism actually exists and must always be addressed wherever it can.

 

[nodejesque]

I'm a poor woman of color. And I can attest to the fact that with depression and anxiety, and now panic attacks, I have received much needed support from this site. I wouldn't be able to tell you what race or gender the users are, but everything I have learned on here has given me hope. I have also made friends whom I talk to on a daily basis.

In all honesty, what it sounds like is you wanting to build a group for women of color that discuss various issues, including mental health.

That's great. However, if you come to a site that is specifically for anxiety, then understand that, that is exactly what you get. Advise and support for anxiety. Nothing to do or against any race, religion or sex.

Best of luck to you.

 

[nodejesque]

Girl, bye.

 

[RestlessFlames]

Well I can kinda understand where he's coming from. From my experience, african americans dont really talk about mental health issues often (especially men) and social anxiety might as well be hogwash. So we more often than not will suffer in complete silence in fear of facing scrutiny from family. And when it comes to race issues, I tend to not even bother talking about it with anyone that isnt a minority because it can very easily turn into a debate. It almost happened here when someone asked how they felt about the confederate flag being taken down, I said it should because it causes people grief, and someone outright told me I was being unreasonable. Which really angered me. That pretty much told me that people being put through mental anguish isnt as important as preserving someone's pride for a bad part of American history. And dont even get me started on the "post your picture" and "who do you find attractive" threads. Last time I posted my pic it got completely ignored. Anyways Im not personally interested in the aforementioned group as I dont feel particularly safe with anyone.

(I'm a she by the way). I'm glad you said this because this shows that I am not the only person here who sees the problem. feeling left out of "beauty" threads that adhere to eurocentric ideals of beauty making POC members feel left out and the same level of hurt they face living in a society where they are marginalized for their race. and the confederate flag issue being pushed under the rug and us being seen as "too sensitive" says way too much and we do need safe spaces to talk about how these things hurt us greatly because we are not met with empathy regarding these topics here. you say you don't feel safe anywhere and wouldn't be interested in a group for black social phobia sufferers? I feel that there is this tendency for marginalized people to distrust each other when we should come together and be eachother's support. we can address concerns of how white standards and a world that caters to extroverted people make life extremely hard for us to navigate. maybe you should give it a try, or maybe we can fight to bring more intersectionality on this site. there is no need for us POCs/black people to go elsewhere. we should already be getting what we need here.

 

[RestlessFlames]

I'm a poor woman of color. And I can attest to the fact that with depression and anxiety, and now panic attacks, I have received much needed support from this site. I wouldn't be able to tell you what race or gender the users are, but everything I have learned on here has given me hope. I have also made friends whom I talk to on a daily basis.

In all honesty, what it sounds like is you wanting to build a group for women of color that discuss various issues, including mental health.

That's great. However, if you come to a site that is specifically for anxiety, then understand that, that is exactly what you get. Advise and support for anxiety. Nothing to do or against any race, religion or sex.

Best of luck to you.

what it sound like is me wanting to address the lack of intersectionality within mental health spheres and wanting to create a group for those who have race as well as social anxiety as stressors to battle. you're clearly one of those POCs who want to deny the impact and reality of racism (you're probably white passing) and now you want to tell me to just remain silent while I read about discussions that only cater to the white majority, and thus I am getting nothing. so you're telling me that whenever discussions about race come up and we are met with no empathy, we should just take it. I don't think so. if you're telling me to be okay with a site that caters to the majority group who doesn't have to deal with racism, then there in lies the problem. I know what I'm looking for and know what concerns I am calling attention to and I don't need you to condescendingly summarize my intentions that leave you blind to the problems that the lack of intersectionality does. just think of feminism and the diatribe that has become white feminism and how women of color are pushed to the sidelines and are mostly seen as angry and causing a scene when they are hurt or wronged by the privileged.

 

[nodejesque]

Well, this isn't the place to post about the Confederate flag. It's a social anxiety site. I have also posted on issues that affect me, especially from a cultural and racial standpoint... But it is not the place.

Mental health has stigma no matter the race. It's a sensitive issue for all people across the board.

Look. I can go on and on. We all have a unique perspective that is influenced by race, yes. Religion as well, sexual identity, as well as factors such as employment and familial history.

Race is just one of the issues that is encompassed in our identity.

I do understand the frustration. But, this is not a platform to discuss social issues. It's a mental health, specifically social anxiety forum.

Like I said, I have also posted about race. Because of course it angers me, but this s not an appropriate outlet.

If you're going to post specifically how anxiety affect black people diffently than everyone else.. Then I could understand. But the stigma that you refer to... Is something most people dealing with mental illness experience.

 

[Zooman]

Racist alert! I don't get how people like this don't get it. It's like me saying i want to make a club SA specifically for white people, because black people don't understand what it's like to be white with SA. Would that piss you off? Yeah it probably would, cuz that is ****ed up.

 

[RestlessFlames]

Well, this isn't the place to post about the Confederate flag. It's a social anxiety site. I have also posted on issues that affect me, especially from a cultural and racial standpoint... But it is not the place.

Mental health has stigma no matter the race. It's a sensitive issue for all people across the board.

Look. I can go on and on. We all have a unique perspective that is influenced by race, yes. Religion as well, sexual identity, as well as factors such as employment and familial history.

Race is just one of the issues that is encompassed in our identity.

I do understand the frustration. But, this is not a platform to discuss social issues. It's a mental health, specifically social anxiety forum.

Like I said, I have also posted about race. Because of course it angers me, but this s not an appropriate outlet.

If you're going to post specifically how anxiety affect black people diffently than everyone else.. Then I could understand. But the stigma that you refer to... Is something most people dealing with mental illness experience.

so you're just going to ignore the insensitivity met with pointing out the controversy surrounding the confederate flag with a smug statement of "well this isn't the place" thus ignoring how the majority feels about certain topics reigns supreme, thus other voices are silenced. we can talk about other topics, but when it comes to the reality of race and racism, POC members must stay silent and watch as they are consumed by another sea of white. if you want social phobia spaces to be inclusive to everyone, we must be opened to discussions that call attention to those who are most marginalized. regarding certain threads that unintentionally adhere to eurocentric modes of being, why aren't you calling attention to that and how this actively marginalizes POC members. you can't tell me that this isn't the site for race discussions when the majority white opinion and discussions are at the forefront. don't even try it. I know you're trying to assimilate by denying the part of you that marginalizes you further within the mental health community to make yourself more comfortable and fit in better but what good does that do anyone? and expecting that I do the same is just nonsense. talking about how the confederate flag hurts people and how it is tied to the current systemic racism we face should not be met with such dismissal and lack of empathy. this just puts more stress on black people with social phobia. social phobia is stigmatized everywhere and then we go to social phobia spheres where we must be silent about race since it might make the majority uncomfortable. how is that okay? yes mental health has stigma no matter the race (just like homosexuality gets stigmatized no matter the race) but never tell a POC gay that there is no racism within the LGBT community also don't deny the further marginalization of POC people with social phobia who in many ways won't be able to relate to many of the discussions since their struggles are much harder. such as black people with social anxiety being perceived as angry, rude or unfriendly or being seen as more suspicious when we show signs of being nervous. these are things that white people with social phobia will not be able to relate to and these discussions should be welcomed with opened arms here.
if you understand the frustration I have then you would understand the need for intersectionality regarding race and making POCs with social phobia feel more welcome and included. it should be a platform to discuss social issues because you know what, social anxiety is a social issue and we are faced with a disorder that makes it hard to navigate a world that caters to extroverted types. this is an appropriate outlet to talk about how your race makes things harder for you. you're saying that a white person who only has their social phobia as a struggle can come here and feel completely validated and as though they've taken out all their stress but POCs come here and feel like there is more they need to let out but there is no safe space for their unique struggles and they'll be met with lack of empathy here. race is one of the issues encompassed in our identities which makes our struggles different. social anxiety affects black people differently and when social anxiety focuses more on what whites go through, this further silences us and makes us feel we have no place to vent. yes mental illness is stigmatized everywhere but don't pretend POCs aren't further marginalized within marginalized groups.

 

[RestlessFlames]

Racist alert! I don't get how people like this don't get it. It's like me saying i want to make a club SA specifically for white people, because black people don't understand what it's like to be white with SA. Would that piss you off? Yeah it probably would, cuz that is ****ed up.

sorry but "reverse racism" is not a thing and stop trying to make it happen because it's not going to happen. calling out the need for something is not racism. you're just reaching. of course it would be racist for you to say you want to create a group for white SA people because you know what, while you have privilege due to being white, blacks are systemically oppressed because of being black thus struggles will be harder for them. like this is a safe space for people marginalized by their anxiety, someone who is black and has SA will need a safe space that addresses their unique concerns. you cannot be racist towards white people who hold all the systemic power and thus have privilege from this. you need to do some research and understand the history and current context of our society.

 

[Megaten]

Well, this isn't the place to post about the Confederate flag. It's a social anxiety site. I have also posted on issues that affect me, especially from a cultural and racial standpoint... But it is not the place.

Mental health has stigma no matter the race. It's a sensitive issue for all people across the board.

Look. I can go on and on. We all have a unique perspective that is influenced by race, yes. Religion as well, sexual identity, as well as factors such as employment and familial history.

Race is just one of the issues that is encompassed in our identity.

I do understand the frustration. But, this is not a platform to discuss social issues. It's a mental health, specifically social anxiety forum.

Like I said, I have also posted about race. Because of course it angers me, but this s not an appropriate outlet.

If you're going to post specifically how anxiety affect black people diffently than everyone else.. Then I could understand. But the stigma that you refer to... Is something most people dealing with mental illness experience.

Hey Im not the one that made that flag thread. In fact I hardly make threads here. I just try to offer my well ignored advice and go on about my business. But the off topics section is full of all kinds of non anxiety related ridiculousness.